Editor's Note Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) reduces cardiovascular risk factors independent of calorie restriction and weight loss, according to a recent study published in JAMA Surgery. News-Medical.Net reported on the study July 4. Bariatric surgery, particularly RYGB, is more effective than non-surgical treatments for significant weight reduction and lowering cardiovascular…

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Editor's Note Female patients undergoing heart surgery are less likely than male patients to have concomitant procedures—that is, having additional ailments addressed during cardiac procedures—despite guidelines recommending such treatments, according to two studies led by Michigan Medicine. News-Medical.Net reported the news June 28. The first study, involving over 5,000 patients…

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Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration has announced class 1 recalls—the most severe category indicating risk of serious injury or death—for Abbot Medical’s HeartMate System Monitor and Philips Respironics OmniLab Advanced+ (OLA+) ventilator. According to the agency’s June 28 report, the recall of the HeartMate System Monitor, part…

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Editor's Note A choking hazard prompted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to designate Vyaire Medical’s recall of Twin Tube sample lines—critical components of the Vyntus CPX system—as Class 1, the most serious category of recall indicating a risk of serious injury or death. According to the agency’s May…

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Editor's Note Contrary to previous findings, less-invasive percutaneous intervention combining fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) could be a viable alternative to surgery for patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and concomitant obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). That’s according to the results…

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Editor's Note The largest scale analysis so far available comparing surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) to longer-term percutaneous devices for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) supports the comparable long-term safety and efficacy of the latter procedure. According to a May 15 report in Medical Xpress, the findings raise important considerations for valve…

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Editor's Note The lack of available hearts for transplantation combined with the recent recall of Abbott’s HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device (LVAD) “makes the current therapy landscape for heart failure much more dire,” according to a May 20 report in Medical Device Network. The recall of the device, which…

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Editor's Note More than 45 years after surgery, Mary Ann Kozlowski’s mechanical heart valves are still pumping—and Guinness is reviewing an application to list her as the new world record-holder for longevity of a double-valve replacement. That’s according to a May 15 report in the Erie-Times News, which detailed how…

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Editor's Note Nine out of 10 American adults have Cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic syndrome (CKM)—interrelated factors that progress to heart disease—and almost 10% already have heart disease, according to a report published in JAMA by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. HealthDay news reported on the…

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Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified recalls of Abbot’s HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS) implant kits and Phillips Respironics' Trilogy Evo ventilators as class 1, the most serious category indicating risk of serious injury or death. Used while waiting for recovery, a transplant,…

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